Miss You
by matchbookjealousy
Summary: A story about how and why Kurt Hummel came back to McKinley. - i couldn't deal with the stress of last night's episode, so i wrote this because I'm a geek and don't have better coping skills. SPOILERS FOR "FURT". T-rating given for language.


**Inspired by vcg73's 'Relationships' and particularly good finder's use of song lyrics.**

**Song featured here is "I Miss You" by Blink 182.**

**Enjoy. And, as usual, reviews are always greatly appreciated!

* * *

**

Finn can't fall asleep. He just lays there, staring up at the ceiling, and thinks about things.

'_Kurt's gone. He left. He left because I didn't step up. This is all my fault. God, Finn, why are you so self-centered? Even Rachel wanted to help him. You couldn't do _that_ though. No, of course not! Because it would hurt your precious reputation. Idiot. Why do I keep screwing up? God, I hate this.'_

After a few hours, his eyes finally close and he falls into a fitful sleep.

The next day, he barely even cares about anything that's going on. And it doesn't really make anyone concerned because all of his friends are acting the exact same way. He feels guilty and useless. Maybe they do to. Or maybe they're just disappointed in him. He knows he is.

* * *

"_Hello there, the angel from my nightmare, the shadow in the background of the morgue, the unsuspecting victim of darkness in the valley. We can live like Jack and Sally if we want. Where you can always find me. We'll have Halloween on Christmas. And in the night we'll wish this never ends, we'll wish this never ends."

* * *

_

Azimio's noticed a weird change in his friend. Dave Karofsky is acting like some sorta girly wuss all of a sudden. He still tells Finn he's a loser for being in glee, and tells Jacob Ben Israel that if he wasn't such a creep, he might be able to find some friends at the middle school down the street, but he doesn't seem to be as into it as he's been before.

Azimio and Karofsky and a couple other jocks are standing in the hallway talking between classes.

"Hey Finn! How's _geek_ club?" One of the jocks jeers, as Finn and Rachel walk past him in the hall. Finn shakes his head disappointedly, but keeps walking and doesn't respond. "I don't get it. That skirt-wearing fag Hummel leaving was the best thing ever."

"Yah, the farther away I am from that freak, the better. Stupid homos," Azimio adds.

"Shut up," Karofsky mutters, looking down at the floor.

"What?" Azimio asks, shocked.

"I said, shut up," he replies sternly, looking Azimio in the eyes.

"What the hell, man? You a homo now too?" Azimio says, laughing.

"What if I am?" Karosky says, standing up taller.

"You're kidding right?" Karofsky doesn't respond. "You have got to be kidding me! What'd that homo freak do to you while I was out of school, man? He turn you or something?" Azimio is a bit angry now, but still has a half-smile on his face, as if what he's saying is purely a joke.

"Shut the fuck up, Azimio. Hummel never did anything to me, so just shut the hell up about it."

"What the fuck! You're a freaking fag now! I can't believe this! He turned you! In one week, that freaking homo turned you into a homo too!" Azimio says, almost laughing.

"Shut up, Azimio. I mean it."

"Oh, you mean it? And what are you gonna do if I don't? Ass-rape me?" Azimio says, laughing, with a strange fire in his eyes.

Karofsky shoves the other boy into the nearby wall of lockers. Brittany, Santana, Quinn, Sam, and Puck, who are walking by at the time, stop to see what the commotion is.

"Do it, Karofsky. You know you want to." Azimio taunts wickedly.

"Shut the fuck up!" He yells he throws a punch in Azimio's direction.

Azimio dives away from Karofsky's flying fist, then swings back, making contact with Karofsky's jaw. The other jocks join the fight as Karofsky tries to tackle Azimio.

Puck and Sam try to break them up, but just end up being hurled back toward their friends, unable to penetrate the tornado of cursing and flailing limbs. More students have begun to watch the fight, and Sam goes to find some help. He soon returns, with Finn, Rachel, Tina, Mike, Mr. Shuester and Coach Bieste in tow. Puck, Finn, Mike, and Sam, along with the help of the two teachers, try again, and successfully break up the fight.

Mr. Shue, Puck, Sam, and Finn are all holding the fighters away from each other, as Mike and Coach Bieste stand inside the newly-created circle of people, making sure none of them try to break away from their captors.

"What the hell is going on here?" the coach bellows, looking from face to face.

* * *

"_Where are you? And I'm so sorry. I cannot sleep, I cannot dream tonight. I need somebody, and always, this sick strange darkness comes creeping on so haunting every time. And as I stared I counted the webs from all the spiders, catching things and eating their insides. Like indecision to call you, and hear your voice of treason. Will you come home and stop this pain tonight? Stop this pain tonight."

* * *

_

Kurt's happy enough now that he's transferred schools. He's started to make some new friends and he's happy that he gets to hang out with Blaine a lot more now, but he still feels like maybe something isn't right. He can't really put his finger on it though.

A week or two after leaving McKinley, he notices that an unfamiliar number has left him a message on his cellphone. Curious to see who the mystery caller is, he listens to it.

_"Hi Kurt. Uh, it's Karofsky- Don't delete this message yet! Hear me out. Please."_ A pause. A deep breath.

"_I want to apologize. You were right. I _am_ just a stupid jock who's afraid to face the truth." _Another pause.

"_When I heard you'd transferred, I- I felt terrible. That's all my fault. If I wasn't such a stupid coward, none of this would've happened." _An awkward laugh.

"_I'm actually at home right now. I was suspended again. I might be expelled now, but I guess I'm not really sure if I care. I thought you'd want to know that I was suspended for getting into a fight with Azimio."_ A pause. A sigh.

"_He was saying stuff about you, about how great it was that you were gone, and making fun of Finn, calling him a pussy for being in glee and stuff. God. Finn. He's not acting normal. None of the glee kids are. Ever since you left, they all just walk around together and look sad. And I hate that that's my fault too."_ A muffled sound (that sounds a bit like someone sniffling).

"_I'm really sorry, Kurt. _For everything_. Especially for the past few weeks. You never did anything to anyone, and I still treated you like complete shit. I know you're not going to forgive me. I don't blame you. I wouldn't forgive me either- seriously, I wouldn't. But, I still thought you might like to know that I'm really sorry. And I promise that if you come back to school, if I'm there, I won't talk to you ever again. And I'll help make sure Azimio and those other assholes leave you alone. So, yah, that's all I really wanted to say. I just wanted to apologize."_

The message clicks off, and Kurt lowers the phone from his ear. He'd started tearing up when Karofsky described his friends' behavior since he'd left, but now there are tears streaming from his eyes, and he doesn't even try to stop them from coming.

* * *

The last group to go, New Directions, is almost all the way through their performance; they only have one number left to do.

The group forms two staggered lines across the stage as the music starts to play. After a few seconds, the performers in the front of the two rows begin singing. Artie, Mike, Brittany, Rachel, and Quinn's voices meld together to form one strong voice that fills the auditorium and mesmerizes the crowd.

The second verse is sung by the second row to singers. Finn, Tina, Santana, Sam, Mercedes, and Puck harmonize just as beautifully as the first row of performers had, their voices coming together in a rich mixture of emotions.

The entire club's voices form for one steady stream of emotional sound, as they sing the final part of the song. Tears are being held back, voices are on the verge of cracking, and their hearts are all breaking a little bit more.

"_Don't waste your time on me you're already the voice inside my head. (I miss you, miss you) _

_Don't waste your time on me you're already the voice inside my head. (I miss you, miss you)"

* * *

_

When Kurt looks at the Facebook statuses of the New Directions members later that night, he sees that they are all very similar.

_ Tina Cohen-Chang wants to dedicate New Direction's final song tonight to Kurt Hummel. Break a leg, everyone._

_ Mike Chang wants to thank Kurt Hummel for inspiring him to dance (football 2009!) and to let Kurt know that the glee club's last song at Sectionals today is for him._

_ Artie Abrams and the rest of New Directions dedicate the last song of their performance to their awesome friend Kurt._

_ Brittany Pierce wants to dedicate the last song glee club is going to sing to her super fabulous, capital G, baby hands boo Kurt._

_ Santana Lopez wants Kurt to know that the glee club's last song today is for him._

_ Sam Evans wants to dedicate New Directions' last song to his awesome friend Kurt Hummel._

_ Quinn Fabray wants to dedicate the New Directions' final performance of the night to her friend Kurt Hummel._

_ Noah Puckerman (Puck) wants to let Kurt Hummel know that glee's last song today is for him, and that he should listen real freaking hard to it. Seriously, dude, listen to the song!_

_Rachel Berry would like to dedicate the New Directions' final song at Sectionals tonight to her amazing and talented friend Kurt Hummel._

_ Finn Hudson dedicates the final song he'll be singing at Sectionals to Kurt, his awesome and super-talented stepbrother. I'm sorry I failed you, Kurt. I'm really, really sorry._

_ Mercedes Jones wants to dedicate the final song that New Directions will sing tonight to her best friend in the whole world, Kurt Hummel. You're amazing, Kurt, and I'm sorry I let you down.

* * *

_

After crying for a few minutes (out of both sorrow and joy), Kurt picks up his phone and quickly types in the digits for his father's cell phone.

"Hey, Kurt. What's up?" His dad answers, clearly trying hard to sound happy.

"Dad, I've been thinking. Um, well, I was sort of thinking that I might want to come back home," Kurt replies a bit sheepishly, and almost as a question. He feels guilty because the money for his tuition will go to waste, and that's not fair; that money was supposed to be for his dad and Carole's honeymoon, and now it's not going to be used for _anything_.

"Kurt, are you sure? Did something happen?" His dad inquires urgently.

"Everything's fine, Dad. I- I just kind of changed my mind, I guess. It's sort of a long story. But, if it's okay with you, I- I want to come home." Kurt says, trying to hold back a second wave of tears.

Kurt hears a small shaky laugh on the other end of the line. "Of course it's okay, kiddo,"  
his dad replies, with a smile in his voice. "We've really missed you around here, Kurt. Like you don't even know."

"I know, I missed you guys too," he replies with a broad teary smile.


End file.
